Some of our young people have had difficulty about the different times named as to the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus in Mark and John, but it is entirely removed when we observe that Matthew, Mark and Luke use Jewish time—six in the morning to six in the evening. And John, who wrote so much later, uses Roman time, which is the same as ours, from twelve to twelve.
Thus in Matthew 27:45, 4645Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Matthew 27:45‑46), there was darkness from the sixth hour, or at twelve noon, to the ninth hour, our three P. M. Then was that bitter cry on the cross.
In Mark, Jesus was crucified at the third hour, our nine A. M. At the sixth hour, our twelve, darkness until the ninth, our three P. M.
In Luke, there was darkness at the sixth hour, our twelve noon, until the ninth hour, our three P. M.
In John, there is no hour given, either of the crucifixion, or the darkness. But about the sixth hour, Roman time, our six A. M., when Jesus stood before Pilate in the place Gabbatha, there He, the holy One of God, was condemned, and delivered to be crucified (John 19:13, 1413When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! (John 19:13‑14)). There is little told us of what He suffered at their hands, from six A. M. to nine. Thus all is in perfect harmony. In our time, about six He was condemned, and delivered to be crucified. At nine He was crucified. At twelve there was darkness until three.